When Maya arrives in San Francisco to surprise her boyfriend. She instead gets news from his rideshare driver that her boyfriend is cheating on her. Heartbroken and alone, she is led by text message on an adventure that just might change her life.

This is a light hearted romance, where a woman falls for a man through the written word, and then sets out to find him. With the current crush of the constant news cycle, this was a perfect read to escape with. A novel that takes us to a beautiful beachside town, with the promise of being able to start over.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this. With the exception of a cheating ex, there are a raft of enjoyable characters. There is no great tension, but plenty of banter. Good for those looking for a break.

The Meeting Point starts with Maya trying to surprise her boyfriend by flying to meet him but instead she is the one surprised when a Lift driver finds his phone and lets her know her boyfriend is not who she thinks. The mysterious Lift driver, “Max”, then tries to turn her day around by acting as a tour guide by sending her texts with places to check out in beautiful Carmel by the Sea. They end up not meeting in person, but almost a year later, she goes back to Carmel by the Sea to try to find the Lift driver and his author friend, Ethan, who is publishing the story of her and Max’s life changing day.

This book had a lot of potential. A beautiful, beach-front setting, some fun text banter and short chapters that read easily. It felt like insta-love which I don’t usually like, but it also felt like it could be like the show “Love is Blind” where they are getting to know each other’s personalities through texting first.

Unfortunately, this book didn’t work for me. My biggest issue was how juvenile it felt. Maya was extremely unlikable to me, she was rude and shortsighted and it was written off as she wasn’t social (???). How did it take so long for her to figure out who “Max” was? She was so forgiving of her crappy boyfriend, but didn’t seem to be able to trust anyone else and sometimes seemed to like to be argumentative for no reason. Especially the ending chapter where Ethan and Maya are arguing and it felt like an argument I’d have with my 5-year-old. I felt like the beginning was so rushed we never really got to know why Maya was the way she was. I didn’t feel sympathetic to her character at all.

Going back to Lift driver Max. The idea of him following Maya around did not feel cute to me, but rather extremely weird. And his friend Ethan, he drug out the reveal of Max for way too long and again, in a weird way. Why would he think taking Maya on dates under this pretence would be the way to win her over..

I enjoy short chapters but maybe it was to the detriment of the book in this case. This felt rushed and scattered, with too much stake in who Max was and not enough in getting us to root for Ethan and Maya.

Thank you NetGalley and Head of Zeus for sending me a digital copy of The Meeting Point in exchange for an honest review.

The Plot:
I read the synopsis of this book, which provided just enough detail to intrigue me about a Lift driver helping our main character discover that her ex is cheating - and then continuing to banter back and forth with each other enough to create some pretty sweet chemistry. But this turned into so much more and I really liked how much more there was to Maya’s story.
The characters:
Maya is our main character and she… only kind of endeared herself to me. There were moments when I could understand the journey she was taking, but most times when I was just completely questioning what the heck she was doing. I couldn’t always figure out what her true motivations were. While reading, I really felt confused, and it made it harder to feel connected to her in any positive way. Maya’s character also felt too naive when it came to Ethan’s intentions. It seemed so obvious even if there was some ambiguity in who Max was. His actions never screamed “I’m vetting you for my friend’s sake.” There was a fair bit of eye rolling from me.
The setting:
This book felt most like a way to convince the reader to visit Carmel-by-the-Sea and northern California. I have actually spent time in this area on several trips, and I absolutely love the Monterey Bay area so I didn’t mind reading about all the places that Maya visited. I was even following some of her adventures via Google Maps and taking my own notes on future visits.
The writing:
The writing felt a bit simplistic to me. There didn’t seem to be a lot of depth to the plot or the characters, and there were definitely some cheesy lines throughout the book. In addition, there were definitely some unneeded details that just distracted me and took me out of my reading experience which is never the goal. I did have several questions in terms of the plot that popped into my head, and I was really glad to see that the author managed to take care of almost all the plot holes that I thought of, but several times, these plot holes were addressed chapters later and so that skewed my view of the book.
Overall:
This was a light read, set in a beautiful location about a sweet romance. It’s not a favorite read, and I probably won’t revisit this book in the future. Honestly, my favorite part was just learning more about Carmel. The expanded story had some really good potential but I just didn’t feel like it was executed all that well.
Review is posted on my Goodreads account and will be on Amazon

“It’s not always as black and white as you want it to be. Especially when it comes to matters of the heart.”

Read if you love
-short chapters
-witty text bantar
-quirky beach towns
-a protagonist glow-up

The Meeting Point was the perfect binge worthy beach read that should truly be made into a movie! I read this in one sitting and loved Maya and Ethan’s dynamic. The setting and characters of the book definitely gave me Stars Hollow from the Gimlore Girls vibe but by the ocean and I loved Maya’s transformation! She learns so much about herself and her worth and I was here for it!

Ok, this book was super cute!! I did feel like the ending was easily guessed, but I still enjoyed reading the book! The way the author described Carmel by the Sea makes me want to book a trip to visit this adorable town and find places that inspired locations in the book.

It only takes a trip to San Francisco to surprise her long-term boyfriend and an unusual way to celebrate a birthday to change Maya’s life forever.

Will she be able to come back home with her boyfriend and forget everything that happened in Carmel?
Maybe we should give more credit to the mysterious man with whom she texted all day back a year ago.

If you’re looking for a slow burn romance, full of mystery and deceit this is your book!

Thanks to IPG publishing and NetGalley for this ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley and Aria & Aries for this e-arc in exchange for a honest review! 2 ⭐️

I had really high hopes for this book that, unfortunately, were not met. The pacing in the beginning was fine, but about 30-40% of the way through it just started to drag. I felt a lot of the story was unnecessary and the identity of “Max” was painstakingly obvious. It made our main character seem juvenile and oblivious.

I also found it extremely creepy that this “Max” lyft driver just took it upon himself to text her through her cheating boyfriends phone and follow her around a city for a whole day. Totally giving me Joe from ‘You’ vibes. I did end up liking him towards the end, but he still creeped me out.

Overall, a very quick easy read but not one I would recommend unless you like instalove and unrealistic meet cutes (if you can call it that)

I loved everything about this book. Except for the main character.

Maya Maas is a writer. Not one with an agent, or anything published, but she has some drafts. She loves to write love stories. Unfortunately, though, Maya is stuck in a journalism job where she is overworked, underpaid, and underappreciated. One weekend, while hoping to surprise her boyfriend on his trip to California, she finds out from a Lift driver that her boyfriend had left his phone in the car. She spends a full day being guided by the mysterious Lift driver around Carmel by the Sea, a gorgeous coastal town. She then gets back together with her boyfriend, who insists that he had not cheated on her. Nearly a year later, Maya dumps the boyfriend and, hoping to find the mysterious Lift driver before their story is published by a man claiming to be the Lift driver’s friend, heads down to Carmel by the Sea.

Let’s just get right to it. Maya was so painfully annoying. She was too forgiving when it came to her boyfriend, but not forgiving enough (or at all) when it came to anybody else in her life, no matter how much she cared about them. She was very set in her ways and was unable to look at her situation from any other angle or perspective than her own, and she stubbornly resisted all attempts to show her that maybe she doesn't have to trap herself in self pity and misery. I really just could not bring myself to care much about her or her happiness.

Other than Maya, I loved everything about this book. Which was so unfortunate. The setting was beautiful, with detailed descriptions of the town that made me feel like I was there, and a writing style that kept me hooked even when I wanted to just give up. And the side characters. If you’ve read a review by me, you know that they are what will truly make or break a book for me. And they were what convinced me to keep going and power through this book. Maya’s friends were dynamic and kind, and the mysterious love interest was sweet and seemed from the very beginning like a great guy.

In the end, if all else stayed the same, this book would have been five stars if not for how much I truly dislike Maya. However, I will say this - this book sets itself up nicely for a sequel from another perspective, and if that happens, I will be reading it for sure. I just didn’t mesh well with this one.

Thank you to NetGalley and to Head of Zeus for sending me this book for review!

Olivia is having one of the worst days of her life when she decides to surprise her boyfriend in California and she finds out her boyfriend is cheating on her by the Lyft driver who dropped him and his mystery girl off earlier that day.

Things turn around when the same Lyft driver sends her on a wild adventure in a small town where she can turn her day around.

The first half of the book was good but the second half kind of left me a little disappointed.

This was a quick read and something I might enjoy reading while lounging in the sun on a warm day.

I devoured it in just one sitting and couldn't put it down once I really got into it.

Okay, I'm speechless. Already lost sleep having to read this in 1 sitting as I could NOT put this down. About 2 people with a chance meeting by texts. Follows 2 writers as well and their stories of their lives and the actual stories they've written. It's a beautifully written masterpiece. I was soooo invested in these characters, rooting for SO many people in this book to find their happiness. I cannot believe I loved this so much as this isn't my typical genre, but let me tell you... it's 110% worth the read. You will be so captivated by the characters in the story and MUST keep turning the pages to figure out how everyone's lives take off and what will happen next! Absolutely loved this. Hands down my favorite book I've read in the past few months (and I read 2-3 books a day). Loved this! Can't believe I've only just now found this author and this book! I will absolutely be checking out the author's other books now!

I received this book to review from the publishers and NetGalley. All comments above are solely my true opinion after reading this book.

This had all the right soul-melting heart-warming romantic moments that you are probably looking for if you're picking up this book. It was a little cheesy and cliche at times, but mostly made me smile and swoon!

Wow, oh wow - I am impressed! The Meeting Point by Olivia Lara is such a sweet, quick read with likable characters, an intriguing plot, and plenty of excitement and adventure. Sure, some parts of the story are predictable, but that does not takeaway from the engaging writing and wonderful plotting throughout. I have added Lara to my list of authors to watch for new releases. Lovers of contemporary romance will enjoy The Meeting Point!

If you are like me and love a good 'ol 'plot twist you can kinda see coming but isn't totally predictable romance' this is it. You won't be blindsided or shaken, but you will swoon. And honestly, with all that is going on in the world right now, that's the kind of book we need.

The Meeting Point takes on what we have all been in- a Textship. You know, wehre you fall in love with someone over texts or DMs.

Set in Carmel by the Sea (shout-out bay area), this novel follows Maya as she comes of age and comes into her own... and pursues the one who got away via text, a Lift (not Lyft, which killed me but I get it, who wants to be sued by a corporate overlord?) driver named Max...

The first half of this novel was slow going but when it picked up... it Did. Not. Stop. I rad the last half of the book in one night because I couldn't put it down. So, if you start it and wonder if it picks up the pace, it does and it's such a great love story, in the end.

I really liked this book! The premise was very cute and the characters were well thought out. I really understood what the author was trying to accomplish. I do think the writing felt a little slow and juvenile at times, but the sweet premise and characters made up for it. I also liked that even though it fit into a romance novel formula, it was still unpredictable and I never knew what was coming next.

What a cute book! The main character, Maya is sweet and relatable with just the right amount of sassiness! I loved all the side stories as well throughout the book. It was like having a bunch of little love stories sprinkled throughout the main love story. The chemistry between characters flies off the pages

I loved the unique plot line of the story. As I kept reading I thought more and more about how this should be turned into a movie! The ride share would definitely make for a great meet cute.

This was such a fun, quick read (I didn’t want to put the book down)! Thank you Head of Zeus for the copy of this book! It was delightful!

thank you so much to netgalley for providing me with an earc! 3’75 ⭐️ i think that for a romance book this does the perfect job, but i found the plot to be too predictable sadly, if it werent for that it wouldve been perfect! i loved the dynamic between the two main characters, even though the 'big plotwist' was something that i guessed right away from the moment they met. but I enjoyed it nonetheless which was what i was looking for. also, the references to before sunset (my fav movie) were just cheffs kiss, like celine delphy?? thats a yes for me. a good read overrall!

Such a fun book! Definitely worth a read if you love contemporary romance but don't need spice. I almost finished it in one sitting, so cute!

Maya plans a surprise visit to meet her boyfriend for her birthday. When a Lift driver replies to her boyfriend's texts, she finds out she's being cheated on. The Lift driver ends up leading her on a fun outing for her birthday via text - an experience, and a stranger, she hasn't been able to forget!

Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC!

The Meeting Point - Olivia Lara

Do you believe in love at first text? Maya Maas has a job she doesn’t love and a boyfriend that she doesn’t feel any better about. But regardless, it’s her birthday and she’s got a plan! A plan to surprise her boyfriend who is on a work trip in Cali. Once Maya is at the airport and attempting to get ahold of said boyfriend, she quickly learns this wasn’t the best plan…or was it?

Confiding in a stranger LIFT driver, that enlightens her on her bf David’s behavior, Maya sets off on a solo adventure to Carmel by the Sea. She is determined to not let anything ruin her birthday this year. The stranger LIFT driver (who Maya names Max) is her travel buddy via text, he has the whole day planned out for her and honestly, it is the sweetest day and I’m envious.

Texts turn into games, games turn into feelings. But eventually David needs his phone back… and he also learns about Maya’s surprise arrival. Maya and Max have a plan to meet after their magical night texting back and forth. In a series of unfortunate timings, things don’t go as planned. — A year later a lot has changed, and a lot hasn’t. Maya has some decisions she needs to make and is determined to reconcile a missed connection with her mysterious Max. So much is left to reveal here and I strongly encourage you to pick up this book!

This clean contemporary romance was such a delight to read! I enjoyed it so very much and will be recommending it to everyone. I love how quick of a read it was, the short chapters were my favorite. I was worried that it was going to be a bit of a rushed ending, but I honestly think it was perfect. The story kept me invested the entire time and I think the author drug the plot out perfectly.

Read if you like
-second chance romance
-small town feels
-missed connections
-hidden identity

“Being in love doesn’t make you weak or dependent. Staring at the night sky together, holding hands, looking into each other’s eyes gives you wings. It fills your heart and body with energy to accomplish everything else.”

The concept for this book had me hooked! I do love an insta love sometimes, and i think this was executed perfectly! Maya is a very relatable character and we really get to deep dive into her thoughts! I did guess the ending, but i think there were enough clues that readers were supposed to be able to guess. It may have been rushed at the end, but I think there was enough plot buildup beforehand that made up for it! This book had a great way of making you care about the main character, but also every little side character! Great book and I would recommend this to all my reader friends!

After travelling to San Francisco to surprise her boyfriend of five years, Maya is shocked to receive a message- sent from his phone- from his Lift (taxi) driver. She's even more shocked to learn that her boyfriend's been with a 'blonde in a red dress' earlier that day.

So Maya's stuck at the airport in an unknown city and it's her birthday. That is until the mystery driver suggests the perfect nearby beach town for a day trip, leading to a personalised itinerary and an all-day text exchange.

But this is not a neat romance story, so it will take more than just a few texts to bring these two together.

This is a well-plotted story; one that doesn't rely too heavily on conveniences or romantic sweeps to get the job done. Instead, it's an entertaining, character-driven story with a nice balance of fun events and serious, tender moments. It's mostly fast-paced through its regular use of indirect speech so while it would be nice to read some of these conversations, it doesn't detract from the story.

Maya is an interesting protagonist. She's likeable and her progression is clear. Notably in the latter half, she develops Emma Woodhouse and Amelie Poulain tones with her match-making schemes. Although, it's a shame there aren't more of the wild romantic scenes that she writes in the first chapter- just because they're fun.

The sticking point for this one is that the big, character reveal isn't a reveal; it's painfully obvious from the moment they appear on the page. It's a good character, and you root for them to succeed, but it's part of the intrigue, which then falls flat. Throughout, you're waiting for a sudden thing to happen, something that explains all the confusion and, while you get a decent explanation, it doesn't match the build-up.